US immigration policies show striking similarities with 1920s restrictions
Border control measures in modern-day US mirror century-old limitations from Calvin Coolidge era. Current bi-partisan push for strict immigration rules raises questions about economic effects
Immigration stays at top of US voting priorities with Donald Trump promising mass-deportations of 11 million non-documented people; his statements target various non-white groups (including Haitians Palestinians and Puerto Ricans)
Despite different political views Joe Biden keeps tough border rules in place — a year ago his team switched from Title 42 (covid-era border limits) to new entry barriers; last summer he added more restrictions which got many law-suits
Todayʼs U.S. immigration debate—with politicians on both sides of the aisle promoting restrictive policies and contesting who should be allowed into the country—mirrors that of a century ago
The modern situation looks like copy-paste from 1920s when Calvin Coolidge signed Immigration Act: that old-time law hurt US economy a lot. Right now many experts point out that newcomers help US business grow; still Washington dont see this connection
- No work-permits for most arrivals
- Limited ways to claim asylum
- Extra-strict border checks
- Long processing times
Kamala Harris leads White Houses immigration work since about 3 years ago; her teams main focus is keeping strict control over border crossings and entry rules — which makes todays policies look very similar to previous administration
